


Nicotine Gum

by sipjackerryjuice



Category: Tales from the Gas Station
Genre: I sprinkled in some Robrien, Jack is Bi, Jackerry, Jerry is v gay, M/M, NSFW, big spoilers HUGE spoilers, dont let MCD scare you haha, it takes place within that book, its best if youve read vol three, its plot heavy tho, jackxjerry, jerk, robrien, rosaxobrien, the fluff is absolutely immaculate, the smut just happens to be there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:53:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26134534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sipjackerryjuice/pseuds/sipjackerryjuice
Summary: When Jerry doesn't show up to his birthday party and won't answer his phone, Jack chooses a different course of action and goes to check on him.This puts him in the wrong place at the wrong time. And it changes everything.
Relationships: Jack/Jerry (Tales From the Gas Station), O'Brien/Rosa (Tales From the Gas Station)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	1. All My Friends Are Dead

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Roomies](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23716579) by [iiStarnet](https://archiveofourown.org/users/iiStarnet/pseuds/iiStarnet). 



> firstly  
> the idea was somewhat based off of iistarnet's "Roomies"  
> make sure to go give that a read/show them some love  
> thanks to pain gravy/porn gravy for y'all's support ily y'all  
> this is one of my longer ones, and its actually got concept behind it rather than just being simple smut or fluff  
> enjoy, and leave kudos or a comment if you liked it!  
> \- sara
> 
> p.s. if Jack sees this I will simply drown myself in Pain Gravy

So far, this was shaping up to be a pretty sad and sucky birthday party. The birthday boy had neglected to show up, and all of our calls were going straight to voicemail. Even Rosa was having a hard time being cheery.  
"Cmon Jerry, pick up."  
"Leroy's Whorehouse, you got the dough we got the hoe! Please leave a message, and we'll return your call as soon as possible!"  
Usually, Jerry's voicemail was annoying, but the situation only made it unnerving.  
_I knew we should've installed a tracking device on him when we had the chance!_  
After several unanswered calls from all three of us, O'Brien (predictably) pulled a handgun out of her purse and announced she was going to check on him. She went to say something, but I cut her off.  
"I'm coming with you."  
I wasn't one for playing superheroes at the best of times. But I had a strong sense that Jerry wasn't just trying to be extra fashionably late. Besides, what he'd said at the carnival was still stuck in my brain, despite how I tried to push it out.  
I was gonna prove to him that I did like him.  
Even if it was only doing what any decent human being would do.  
"Wait, you guys are seriously gonna leave me here alone?"  
O'Brien looked her up and down for a moment.  
"Good point."  
She walked over, holding out the handgun, aimed at the floor. For a moment, Rosa looked as if she expected to be shot.  
Then Amy turned the gun around and offered it to her.  
"You know how to use this, Pockets?"  
O’Brien smiled at her. I’d never seen her smile like that before.  
Rosa blushed and stuttered for a moment before responding.  
"Yes, my dad taught me."  
"Good. Shoot first, ask questions later. We'll be back. Alright, Peg Leg, let's go."  
I ignored the young woman that walked in after we walked out. I figured if she hadn't read the sign that said we were closed, Rosa would give her the memo.  
As I climbed into O'Brien's cruiser, I noticed how unnaturally similar the woman was… to _Vanessa Riggin._  
At this revelation, I knew we had to get to the compound fast, for Jerry's sake. And we had to get back fast, for Rosa's sake. The dark-haired woman wearing Vanessa's face stared me down as we pulled out and sped off until we were out of view.  
O'Brien made what was usually at least a thirty-minute drive in under half that time. She was focused, and her knuckles were several shades lighter. She was gripping the steering wheel as she spurred the cruiser to go faster. We rode in anxious silence until I saw the turn up ahead.  
"What do you think he's gotten himself into this time?"  
I swallowed.  
"Knowing Jerry? It could be anything."  
Dust kicked up behind us as we bumped over ruts and potholes in the dirt road leading towards the compound. O'Brien dimmed her headlights, slowed down, and put it in park just short of the treeline. She retrieved another handgun from the console.  
"Stay behind me. I don't know what we're walking into, and that's the safest place for you to be."  
Just as she went to open the door, her radio crackled to life.  
A lot of it didn't make sense to me, but _urgent_ and _all units_ did. She cursed under her breath. Truthfully, part of me had been looking for something like this. Who knows what we'd find in there? Whatever it was, I was pretty sure it was something O'Brien shouldn't see. It was Jerry, after all.  
After a moment, she shook her head.  
"This is more important."  
I stopped her.  
"You don't wanna lose your job over this, Amy. Jerry probably just fell asleep or got stuck under one of the bunk beds again. I can handle it."  
"I'm probably going to lose my job anyway."  
Both of us let that statement hang in the air for a moment before I responded.  
"At least go back and check on Rosa. I'm seriously worried about her being there alone. Then you can decide whether to come back or to go deal with that."  
She sighed. I knew I'd hit her weak spot.  
"Fine."  
She looked over the gun in her hand for a minute, before clicking the safety off and handing it to me.  
"Don't get yourself killed. Call me and tell me what you find, no matter how anticlimactic it is."  
I nodded and took the gun from her. Though it didn't make me feel much safer, it just made me feel nervous. I wasn't a gun guy. I'm sure you know that by now. But I didn't tell her that. Instead, I thanked her.  
"Thanks. I'm sure it's nothing. I'll call you."  
"I'll be back, Jack."  
I smiled a little.  
_Would the real O'Brien ever call you by your name like that? Is this the real O'Brien? Is this a trap?_  
I shook those thoughts away.  
"I'm sure you will."  
I stepped out of the car, and O'Brien waved before pulling a tight three-point turn that made me cringe.  
I watched her cruiser turn into a cloud of dust. Then I turned towards the compound, feeling the pistol's cold metallic weight in my slightly shaky hand. For the millionth time, I had to wonder.  
_What had I gotten myself into?_  


*******

I ambled up the path towards the large metal dome. It felt like I was walking into a tiger's cage. I couldn't figure out just why I was so nervous. Sure, there were pod people everywhere. And sure, Jerry was a target. But that didn't mean it was anything dangerous, right? Maybe the bounty hunters had come back. That was something I could _possibly_ deal with and come out with the same amount of limbs I came in with.  
Then I saw the black Mustang parked to the compound's side, next to my banged-up Nissan.  
I knew that the possibility of it being normal or not dangerous was off the table now. I felt a tremor run through me. I crept closer to the door, clutching the gun tightly with both hands.  
At least I was dealing with someone I knew I could shoot. I'd done it before. I just hoped I wasn't too late. I pulled the door open and cold air blasted me in the face. I shivered. No matter what the weather was outside, it was always freezing in there.  
Some indistinguishable ball of dark fur sporting a pink bow on its head rushed out into the woods as soon as the door was open. I knew it wasn't BJ, because she was white.  
I shut the door as quietly as possible and crept through the large, dark room.  
It smelled like pig but was cleaner than I remembered.  
I made my way through the bunks towards the back door. No one was here, and the silence was deafening. Then a loud, annoying ringtone filled the air, and I yelped. I looked around for the source, trying to get over that I very nearly peed myself. I found it sitting on one of the bunks closest to the back door. It was Jerry's cellphone. Rosa was calling, and it was blasting out the opening lines of In Da Club by 50 Cent. My annoyance faded quickly when I realized three things at once.  
One, if Jerry's phone was in here and he wasn't, that made it no question that something was horribly wrong. Two, someone probably heard me shout like that. Three, I'd bet that someone was Spencer Middleton.  
I debated on answering the call but ended up sitting it back down, deciding to utilize whatever element of surprise I still had.  
I snuck through the back door and crouch-walked under the canopy of Christmas lights. The lights were out in the school bus, and the door was open. I heard thumping and Jerry's laughter. It wasn't his usual laugh. It was that confident laugh. The kind of laugh he laughed when someone challenged him to a drinking contest. I froze when I heard Spencer's voice from inside the bus.  
"You really think you can win this? I know your weak spot."  
"I'd love to see you try, you dumb biker bitch. Who told you you could simp for the Joker?"  
There was the sound of glass exploding and a groan of pain. I rushed inside the bus to find Spencer pinning Jerry to the wall, cutting off his air supply. One of Spencer's hands was hanging limply, and it was losing color. There was shattered glass everywhere, and Jerry's face was bleeding. One of the windows was shattered outwards.  
 _Had Spencer put his head through one of the windows?_  
Spencer was bruised, and he had blood all over his lips and chin. They were both beat up, but Jerry must've put up a hell of a fight.  
"Kinky" was the last word Jerry managed to gasp out before Spencer dug a knife as wide as my palm into the back of his neck.  
I noticed a shrill pulse in the air, and it took me longer than it should have to realize I was screaming.  
Dark blood sprayed all over Spencer as he hacked away at Jerry's spinal cord. I watched Spencer cut through the soft tissue after his spinal column was severed, and Jerry's head rolled off his body and onto the floor.  
Spencer looked at me and grinned. He was drenched in Jerry's blood. As he stepped away, towards me, Jerry's body slumped lifelessly to the floor. His head ended up at my feet. I stared down at his frozen expression of shock and terror.  
 _Another life lost just because they happened to be my friend._  
I puked all over myself. 


	2. Fish Sticks and a Worthy Opponent

_Jerry_

I threw some gas on the firepit and watched it flare up high enough to singe my eyebrows. Man, was I _starving!_ I took the pan filled with fish sticks and held it over the roaring flames. I'd just come from practicing my operatics in the main building.  
I was sure I could get it cooked and eat with time left over before my guest arrived. I had only just taken a bite of an admittedly-too-hot fish stick when I heard footsteps coming up behind me. I figured he thought he was sneaking up on me, but he'd been sorely misinformed if he thought I hadn't sensed his rancid breath a mile away.  
I turned around.  
"Spencer Middleton. I thought I smelled something rotten. Want a fish stick?"  
"You know why I'm here."  
"Of course I do. You're here to seduce me. C'mon, we all know your secret. We all know you can't resist my juicy, delicious c—"  
"I'll rip your lips off and feed them to you."  
I laughed.  
"With your hands or with your mouth?"  
His brow furrowed, and I could see him grit his teeth.  
"This will go a lot smoother for everyone if you just cooperate, Jerry."  
He said my name as if he was addressing an annoying little brother.  
"And this will go a lot smoother for everyone if you lay down and kiss my ass. Because if you don't, I'll rip you in half, and I really don't wanna get blood on this suit. I wanna look nice for my birthday party yknow. But maybe Jack would approve if I came in covered in—"  
I was cut off by Spencer slamming into me. I very gracefully ate shit on the gravel pathway.  
“On top of me now, huh? I thought you liked being on bo—"  
He broke my nose with one well-placed punch.  
Blood sprayed everywhere; however, I was unphased. Two could play at that game.  
"You know, your eyes are just the loveliest shade of dead fish."  
"I'm gonna enjoy this, you son of a bitch."  
"Oh, I'm sure you will."  
He tried reaching for the knife I knew he had tucked into his utility belt, so I grabbed his wrist and snapped it backward in one quick motion.  
The crackle of bones breaking was something I'd never get used to. It made my skin crawl a bit. Yeah, he'd be lucky if he could ever use that hand again.  
“Now now, that’s a bad Spencer.”  
I knew it wasn't his dominant hand. I wanted to at least give Spencer a fighting chance and make this entertaining. It'd been so long since I'd dished out a proper ass beating. He winced, but didn’t cry out. He wasn’t going to give me the pleasure of hearing him scream in pain. At least, not yet.  
I was determined to change that.  
Not only was Spencer an asshole, not only did he come out here and mess with the wrong guy, but he had a track record for hurting Jack. And I was gonna make him hurt twice over for every fucking time he laid a finger on him. I was going to make him _suffer_.  
He used his other hand to snatch out the knife and left a long slash across my shoulder as he tried to get at my neck. It was apparent Spencer had been sorely misinformed by his boss anyway.  
I sent a wicked right hook square into his jaw. He fell off of me. Teeth flew from his mouth, and blood trickled down his chin. I flipped him onto his stomach and dug my knee into his back, grinning.  
I watched his face twist as I used a voice that was clearly not my own.  
"You're finding out this wasn't as easy as you thought it was gonna be, aren't you? But I'm just Jerry. You can capture literal Gods, but you can't incapacitate lil ol me? The weird stoner cultist? You're _pathetic_. Just a stupid little bully with his stupid little knives overcompensating for the fact that he's still a virgin."  
He kicked his foot back and hit me right in the nuts. I groaned.  
He used this as an opportunity to get out from underneath me.  
“This one’s for Jack, you son of a whore!”  
I grabbed him and rammed my knee up into his chest. The sound of several of his ribs breaking was magnificent.  
None had pierced his lungs, which was a shame. But he was in terrible pain, that much was obvious. Still, he balled his hands into fists and bared it.  
While he wheezed, I made for the bus. He followed. That was just what I wanted.  
I was gonna give this motherfucker the fight of his life.


	3. Mimics Aren't The Biggest Problem Anymore

Spencer walked closer to me. He looked proud of himself.  
I didn't move, I couldn't. My body was frozen. Watching Tony die was really hard, watching Vanessa die was excruciating, but my brain just couldn't process what I'd just witnessed.  
And if that was hard to process, what came next broke the scale.  
Jerry's decapitated head began to _scream_. It was a guttural scream of fear and agony. When Spencer's head snapped towards it, and his eyes bulged, and his mouth opened, I knew I wasn't hallucinating it.  
After what felt like ages, the screaming stopped. Then Jerry's head… laughed. His lips and tongue moved, and his eyes rolled around in their sockets.  
"God, you should've seen the look on your fucking faces. Oh man. Priceless!"  
I backed up towards the bus's door as I saw Jerry's headless body rise from the ground.  
"Now. Let's get down to business, shall we?"  
I watched on in disbelief and horror as the clothes and skin sloughed off Jerry's body, exposing purple, crystalline skin.  
It stretched and grew into an eight-legged creature with an alligator tail, too many eyes, and dagger teeth. It was tall enough to reach the ceiling of the bus. Every time it took a step, it sounded like volcanoes erupting. Every time it breathed, I could feel all the pain and anguish in the universe.  
I screamed. I threw up again, but it was just bile. Warm liquid ran down my legs. It lunged at Spencer and sunk its teeth into his arm. He screamed. I watched his skin bubble and turn black as if someone was holding a blowtorch to it.  
The air smelled like cooking meat. I could taste the sound of its teeth scraping against his bones. It was like tectonic plates grinding together. I could hear Jerry laughing hysterically. My nose and ears started to gush blood.  
Everything was too loud and moving too fast. In a moment of agony and mortal terror, I raised the gun and aimed at the purple creature. I fired until my hands shook so bad I couldn't anymore.  
I dropped the gun and collapsed to the ground as hundreds of familiar blue eyes filled my vision.  
The last thing I heard was Jerry's concerned voice.  
"Jack? Dude? Are you okay?"

***  
I was looking up at the sky, on the side of the road. There was no in-between in my brain between seeing my best friend turn into that… that _thing_ and being where I was now. I smelled awful, like urine and vomit and mud and blood. I couldn't stop panting. My body felt like a rubber band stretched to the limit.  
_Oh god. Oh god. What the fuck._  
The gun was still in my hand, a bit lighter now. My legs were on fire.  
_Had I run here?_  
I saw the gas station in the distance, and I struggled to my feet. My stump was swollen and tender. Maybe I had run here.  
I stumbled to the gas station and through the door. Rosa and Not-Vanessa were sitting at the poker table.  
I nearly collapsed. For the second time that night, I didn't realize I had begun screaming until I felt the disturbance in the air. I knew I was a horrible sight.  
Rosa and Not-Vanessa rushed over to me. Rosa tried to sit me down, and Not-Vanessa attempted to pry the gun away from me.  
It was all I felt I had left, and I wasn't going to lose it this easily. All my friends were probably replaced, and my best friend was a monster of a different kind.  
And this thing dared to wear poor Vanessa's identity like a cheap Halloween costume.  
_Oh no, you mimic fucker. You're not getting this gun away from me. No sir._  
"Jack, you gotta calm down. Just put the gun down."  
It even _sounded_ like Vanessa.  
"YOU'RE NOT HER! YOU COULD NEVER BE HER!"  
In a moment of pure panic, I fired. The shot went through her chin and out through the back of her head. She fell to the floor. I watched her twitch and spasm for a moment before going still. I waited for the black tendrils. That shot was way more luck than skill. I was shaking all over. I don't think I'd stopped since back at Jerry's. This thing was gonna be pissed.  
Rosa was frozen, her hand still brushing my shoulder. After a minute, she pulled it away as if I'd burned her.  
"She's not human! She's a monster! Watch, you'll see!"  
Rosa took a step back. I looked at her and then back at the body on the floor.  
"Any second now…"  
Rosa turned and bolted out the door. I watched her frantically pull out her phone and almost drop it.  
O'Brien rolled up about five minutes later. She and Rosa talked for a moment. She wrapped her jacket around Rosa, and Rosa got in the passenger seat of her cruiser.  
When O'Brien came in, I tried to stutter out an explanation. That this thing wasn't human, it was a mimic. It was a mimic and I'd just hit it in the right spot and it wasn't an actual person. I hadn't killed an actual person.  
_Oh god, did I kill an actual person?_  
"Amy I-"  
"Don't call me that."  
I bit my lip.  
"Okay, listen. Here's what we're gonna do. First, I need you to get a tarp…"

*******

We buried the body, O'Brien still in her black dress. We only spoke when necessary. When we were done, she went back to her cruiser and fell asleep for an hour. Whenever I thought about trying to go out there and defuse the situation with Rosa, or talk to O'Brien, I thought better of it. After about an hour and fifteen minutes, Rosa shook O'Brien awake, and they were gone without letting me know they were leaving. I cleaned up the mess from the party after that.  
It was all I could do to keep from having a total mental break. When I was nearly done, I slipped on a half-melted chunk of ice, and my head collided with the front counter. I could feel my teeth cut into my lip.  
Everything went dark. I figured that dying by accidental head trauma after slipping on ice would be a fitting end to this night. 


	4. Racoons and Revelations

When I came to, I was lying against the counter. It was daytime. At least, that's what I thought at first.  
I pulled myself up off the floor and walked outside to take out the garbage I'd collected last night. That's when I realized there was no sun in the sky.  
The sky itself was glowing. It was a soft periwinkle, bathing the ground and trees and everything in soft purplish-blue light. The usual gas station smell was completely gone. The air smelled like fresh rain, and I could hear birdsong. I felt warmth on my face as if the sun was right above me, but it wasn't.  
If I looked hard enough, I could see things moving in the expanse of it— alien-looking things.  
Weirder things than this had happened before. I decided whatever this was, it could wait until I changed. I walked back inside and into the storage closet. I grabbed one of my changes of clothes and headed to the bathroom. I turned on the sink and let the water heat up.  
A hobo shower and a change of clothes were the best I could do at the moment. I washed what blood I could off of my face and the sides of my head. I threw my old ones in the trash. I wasn't gonna bother to clean all the events of last night out of them. When I was (somewhat) clean and changed, I sat in the corner with my head between my legs, trying to steady my breathing. Tears dripped down my face and made tiny puddles on the floor.  
Inhale. _Are all your friends replaced?_  
Exhale. _Is your best friend an Eldritch monster?_  
Inhale. _Does O'Brien hate you now?_  
Exhale. _Will Rosa ever wanna be in the same room with you again?_  
Inhale. _Was that really a mimic you shot?_  
Exhale. _Are you in love with an alien?_  
Inhale. _Did you shoot him too?_  
Exhale. _Where is he now?_  
The bathroom door swung open, even though I locked it. I had a strong feeling I wasn't in control of anything in this place.  
I wish I could say I was surprised when Jerry strolled in. But I wasn't.  
"Dude, you look like shit."  
I just stared at him. His head was back on his shoulders, and he was wearing his tuxedo t-shirt.  
It took me a minute to find words. I was trying to find the correct level of terrified I needed to be of Jerry right now. Pressing my back against the wall, I answered with a shaky voice.  
"Coming from someone who I saw get decapitated less than six hours ago."  
He sighed and leaned against the wall. I watched him pull a cigarette out of thin air. As he raised it to his lips, the tip of it lit on its own. He had a big bruise across his cheek.  
"You pistol-whipped me, and then you ran away at breakneck speed. I tried to stop you and explain what happened, but I eventually just figured it was best to give you some space."  
"I'm sorry. I mean, I guess. I didn't mean to hit you. But I panicked, and I think I had a right to."  
He took a long drag from his cigarette before letting the smoke drift up from his mouth.  
"This isn't really how I wanted you to find out. I was gonna tell you, really. I'm sorry you had to see that. It was pretty rad though, right? Spencer's face was _priceless._ His eyes looked like balloons!"  
I ignored his question.  
"Jerry, what are you?"  
"Well, that's a funky question. I'm a good poker player—"  
"Jerry— if I can even call you that anymore —you know that's not what this is about."  
"What's in a name, anyway?"  
"Jerry."  
"Okay okay, fine. Can we not have this conversation in front of the Bathroom Cowboy?"  
I looked over, and sure enough, there he was. He tipped his cowboy hat and asked, "how about yourself?"  
Jerry grinned, and they shared a knowing look.  
"Take it easy, Jesse."  
With that, he blew out a puff of smoke and walked out of the bathroom.  
I didn't know if I'd regret following him out, but I did so anyway.  
We were outside. The gas station was gone, and when I turned around, so was the bathroom.  
We were just standing in a gravel lot. The sky was that same shade of soft periwinkle. When I turned to look at Jerry. For a moment, I saw something else. It was the same way I'd seen something else at the owner's funeral.  
It was as tall as a skyscraper. Purple skin that was shiny like scales, and thousands of big blue eyes. A colossal tail that was as big as at least two semi-trucks. Six arms that ended in eight fingers, and legs bent backward then forward like a kangaroo. Both its hands and feet ended in red, shiny claws.  
A cigarette between its full lips and a grin on its face  
It wasn't ugly. In a strange way, it was beautiful. Scarily beautiful. But I was too terrified to focus on that. I took a step back. In half a millisecond, it was just Jerry again. He took a long drag and blew out a smoke ring.  
"Y-You're a monster."  
"That's a bit cruel. But I guess I'd feel like that too if I was looking at it from your angle. I'm definitely no monster."  
"So then tell me. What are you?"  
"It's a long and complicated story, and I don't know if I wanna tell you the entirety of it."  
"I've got time. And believe me, I'm not in any place to judge."  
"I… well…. I guess you could say I'm an alien. Part alien? I started out as a human. And then something weird happened. And now this alien and I are the same person. I know that alien part of me has been on Earth for eons. He's a pretty chill guy. But honestly? It hurts my brain when I think about it too much. So I try not to. I just roll with it."  
I blinked, trying to process this.  
"That makes two of us. So… you basically merged consciousnesses with an alien?"  
He sighed.  
"You remember the scary story contest? When…"  
"Yes, I remember. I also remember how bad you freaked out. You told me Beef Jerky was on fire, and you had to leave."  
Beef Jerky was Jerry's cat. He'd immediately adopted her when she'd come into the gas station, emaciated and missing one of her back legs. He’d said they were kindred spirits. It was love at first sight.  
"That's because it was about me."  
"I figured as much."  
I sat down and prepared myself for his explanation.  
"When… when Jamie and our girlfriends and I went up to the Rockies…. about halfway into the trip, we were fucking around where I shouldn't have been. We went into some spooky cave, trying to find a new place to smoke weed and chill. I went too far into the back. There was this weird hole, and when I shone my flashlight down it, this weird purple thing flew out at me. It latched onto my chest, and I couldn't breathe. It stabbed me, and I remember the cave walls shaking. Everything went dark and shimmery and purple. Jamie and the girls tried to get out before…"  
He trailed off.  
"When I came to, I knew I had to leave. There were glowy purple bruises all over my chest, and I felt like someone had put a lightning bolt in my stomach. So I did. And I got as far away from New England and the Rockies as possible. That's how I ended up here. As far as the alien, I know he's from somewhere way far away. Millions of light-years away. He was an outcast, and was exiled."  
His voice softened.  
"I can relate to that."  
I didn't ask him if the others had made it out. I didn't ask him what happened after he left. It wasn't really my business, and part of me knew I wouldn't like the answer just as much as he wouldn't like telling me.  
"Wait… so are your parents really… really looking for you?"  
"No."  
I let that simmer for a moment.  
"Then who—"  
"I'm an alien, who do you think it is?"  
"And… you haven't been paying them off… have you?"  
"You're not the only one who's good with a shovel, Jack."  
The implication of that was clear enough. Jerry sat down next to me.  
"You're not crazy."  
I blinked and looked at him.  
"Huh?"  
"Everything you've been dealing with, it's real. I would know. Besides the obvious reason, I've been fuckin onto them. The mimics, I mean. And the Collector. Dude, do you have any idea how many of those slug motherfuckers I've killed?"  
I rubbed my forehead and tried to figure out just what the fuck to do next.  
"Where's the sun?"  
"Huh?"  
"The sun. Where's it gone?"  
"Oh. I figured this might be a better environment for you to handle all this. I know you like purple. And blue. Honestly, I don't really know how I did this. I have more power than I know what to do with. Watch this shit."  
He flicked his cigarette butt away, and it turned into a raccoon before it hit the ground. It scrambled away into the trees.  
He stood up and walked towards the gas station. While we'd been talking, it had rematerialized. I followed him.  
"I'm really sorry that you found out like this. I really wanted to tell you on my own, when I was ready and shit."  
"Did you not trust me or something?"  
"No, it's not that. It's just… I didn't know how you'd react. Anyone I've ever told either never had anything to do with me again or tried to worship me."  
"Well, you're pretty much the only friend I've got now, and I'm not the worshipping type."  
"I don't wanna lose you, Jack."  
I sat down in one of the folding chairs.  
"Jerry, you'd have to do a hell of a lot to alienate me at this point."  
Jerry started laughing. I couldn't figure out why.  
"What's so funny?"  
"Alienate."  
I blinked.  
"Oh. Oh my god, wrong choice of words man. I'm sorry."  
"No, it's fine, really. Now I can use all my alien puns around you! God, I've got so many. The amount is truly… _astronomical_."  
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face. Jerry sat down next to me.  
"Hey Jerry?"  
"Yeah."  
"I'm sorry… can I just hear that…..... can you say that again?"  
"The amount is truly astronomical?"  
"No, that I'm not crazy. I just… it's so nice to hear. God, it's so nice. You really don't think I'm crazy?"  
"No more than anyone else. In fact, I think you're a lot saner than most people in this stupid town. You can see the things that most people don't see. You're on top of the game, so to speak. So no, I don't think you're crazy."  
I stared at him for a moment. He stared back, that same stupid grin on his face. This was still Jerry, even if it wasn't the exact same Jerry I'd previously known. I was… I was in love with him. He'd shown me his darkest secret.  
And God, _he didn't think I was crazy._  
I closed the distance between us. Jerry's lips were soft. Somehow, they were cool and warm at the same time. This kiss was magical.  
He kissed back as he gently slid his thumb up my jaw. We only broke away when the need for air— at least for me —was too great to ignore.  
"You probably won't remember this, you know."  
"What if I don't?"  
"Then I'll remind you."  
"What if I do?"  
"Then we should get a drink together sometime."  
I grinned.  
"You wanna know something, Jack?"  
"I think I've learned more than enough today. But what is it?"  
"You're out of this world."  
I rolled my eyes.  
"Shut up Jerry."  
He kissed me again. I wrapped my arms around him, and he did the same, pulling me close. I hadn't felt this safe in ages. I felt tingles up and down my spine as he traced his fingers over it.  
When I needed air, he trailed his lips down my jaw. He slid the sleeve of my shirt down on my shoulder just a bit— to get a better vantage point I assumed —and languidly pressed kisses on my neck. My insides felt like shooting stars.  
At that moment, I had a sudden urge to spill my guts.  
He was so kind. He trusted me.  
"Jerry… I… I love you... it was a little crush at first. I thought it'd go away. But it's only gotten stronger. Every time I see your stupid grinning face and your big blue eyes, it only gets stronger.  
He continued to kiss my neck as I spoke. I didn't exactly want him to stop.  
"I just… it's been a while since I've liked someone this much. I really don't know what I'm supposed to do about it."  
Jerry left a few more loving kisses on my neck before pulling away. He was grinning.  
"You don't have to treat it like a problem to be solved. I mean, I'm right here. And I get it. I haven't properly been in love with someone before. We could always give it a try."  
"I'd like that, I think. Yknow, even if the world is crumbling around us. I think…. as long as I have you, I can at least keep a little bit of my sanity."  
"I told you Jack, you're not crazy."  
"God, you just always know what the fuck to say, don't you?"  
I grabbed his face and pulled him in again. He put his hands on mine as we kissed. It was tender and effortless, and when he slipped his tongue in my mouth, I tasted a cool mountain breeze.  
I could hear his soft breathing through his nose and water spilling over river rocks.  
He slid his hands up my shirt, and they felt warm and electric. He pressed our foreheads together as we finally pulled away for air. His gaze was magnetic.  
"No one's gonna come in here to bother us, you know. We're on a different plane of existence, I think."  
"I kinda figured that out when there was no sun or moon in the sky."  
"Maybe we could stay here for a little while longer…"  
The words were innocent enough, but the implication in his voice was heavy and impossible to miss. I chuckled a bit, softly.  
"What do you expect me to say, Jerry? No?"  
He smirked and cracked his knuckles. Instead of the typical sound, it sounded like a fire crackling and popping.  
This all kind of felt like I was having a wicked trip, but I also felt lucid.  
Jerry slid his hands up my shirt again, but this time he lifted it off. He ran his fingers over the scabbed-over slashes on my chest from where Aggie had nearly killed me.  
"I wish I'd been here when that happened. I'd have dropped her ass. But I guess that wouldn't have been a good way for you to find out my secret either."  
I sighed.  
"Things never go as fuckin planned, do they?"  
"Amen, brother."  
He pulled me in, and I moved onto his lap. It felt right. Jerry was a lot bigger than me, at least height-wise.  
He placed tender kisses on the side of my face and whispered in my ear.  
"I love you, Jack. Even when it seems really dark, things will get better. I promise."  
I pressed my face into his shoulder and fought back the tears. Even if I didn't totally believe him, it was nice to hear.  
He lifted my head and wiped my eyes before kissing me again. It was full of sunshine, in a way I can't fully explain in words.  
I let him run his hands all over my torso as he left warm kisses on my shoulder. I broke out in goosebumps when he ran his hand up my thigh. The other ran down my stomach and brushed the edge of my jeans. He met my gaze and kissed me softly.  
"Are you okay with this?"  
I nodded. Jerry unbuttoned my jeans and pulled them down. I kicked off my shoes and got them off the rest of the way. His kisses on my chest were almost hypnotic.  
When he spoke next, it sounded different. It sounded like a thousand other voices all at once, though I could hear Jerry's voice mixed in there somewhere.  
"Your beauty far outshines anything that exists in the furthest reaches of the cosmos."  
For a moment, the air felt thin. I gasped a bit. My face went red, and I swallowed. My ears popped.  
Jerry chuckled.  
"He's much more eloquent than I am."  
I slid my hands up Jerry's shirt and pulled it over his head. I leaned in and left soft kisses all over his neck. He slipped his hand in my briefs. His touch felt electric.  
I bit my lip as he stroked me. I hadn't been touched like that in so long...  
I unbuttoned his jeans before sliding my hand into them. Jerry has exposed himself to me before. There was the time before the Hobo Fire incident, and the time he got a shit-ton of crickets in his pants, among others. But I'd tried not to pay attention those times. I knew if I had, it'd only make my feelings for him much worse. And that was when I was still questioning my bisexuality.  
This was different. That much was obvious. I could feel the sexual tension between the both of us. It was thick enough to cut with a dull spoon. I started to move my hand on him.  
He pressed his body close to mine and our faces together. His gaze was heavy and full of longing. He picked up the pace a bit. So did I. He rubbed his thumb over my tip. My breath hitched.  
"Jerry… that feels good…"  
"Mmm… you're not so bad yourself…"  
It went on like that for a little while. We breathlessly kissed each other, pawing at each other like stupid teenagers in love.  
I grabbed Jerry's wrist. He instantly stopped.  
"Hey… Jerry… what if… what if we went all the way, yknow? I mean, it's been so long since I 've—"  
"Whatever you want is fine with me."  
"Fuck it, man. Let's do it."  
He took his hand out of my underwear, trailed his hands down my hips, and slid off my briefs. I'd expected the urge to cover myself to kick in, but it didn't.  
I felt comfortable around him. More so than I did with anyone else, and I was just now realizing the extent of that.  
He stared for a moment, but when he noticed that I had seen, he looked away.  
"Wow. I gotta be honest, Jack. Seeing you like this is ten times sexier than I imagined."  
"Stop it. Oh my god. It's not."  
"It totally is."  
I laughed.  
"Hold on, let me just—"  
I yelped when he grabbed my ass. He used both hands and didn't let go.  
"Jerry, what the fuck cmon!"  
"Damn, who told you that you could have this fine of an ass!"  
I bit my lip and rolled my eyes.  
"Jerry, you're such an idiot."  
I leaned and kissed him again. Once he was satisfied with how breathless he'd left me, he took his hands off my ass.  
He lifted me up just a bit and slid off his pants and underwear. I continued jacking him off. He let out a soft noise.  
"Shit… don't stop doing that… hold on…"  
I watched him wave his hand, and a bottle of lube and an unopened condom were now on the card table. He snatched the lube and opened it.  
"Have you done anything like this before?"  
"Not… not with a guy… but I know how it works."  
That technically wasn't a lie.  
And… and anything Sabine and I did was really nobody's business but mine and hers.  
"Alright, well, spread your legs for me then."  
I spread them, and suddenly I felt bubbly and light.  
I let out an uncharacteristic giggle.  
"What'd you do—"  
And then it hit me.  
"Holy shit, am I _floating?!_ "  
I was suspended in the air, maybe a foot above where I'd been sitting in his lap. It wasn't much, but I was fucking floating.  
"Gives me an easier angle to work from."  
My feet just barely brushed the floor.  
"This is crazy, oh my god."  
He poured a sufficient amount of lube out on his fingers.  
"Well, you can say you've had sex with an alien, and I can say I've had sex with the sexiest man alive."  
"You're dumb and annoying, and I love you."  
I slowly ran my foot up his leg, rubbing his inner thigh. He took it and kissed it.  
“Ew, foot fetish, gross!”  
“Shut up. You know I don’t have a foot fetish. It’s just... god... every inch of you is so damn gorgeous.”  
I felt my face get hot at his words. He slowly pressed his fingers into me. I let out a shaky breath.  
"Mmm… Jerry… go easy on me... it's been a while…"  
"A while since what?"  
"Nothing."  
He raised an eyebrow but didn't press it any further. I closed my eyes and took long, deep breaths as he inched his fingers farther in. It felt like someone had put a battery in the pit of my stomach. Jerry was really good at this. He started jacking me off, and that's when I couldn't keep quiet anymore. I leaned back and let out a moan.  
"Unh! Shit, Jerry… don't stop doing that."  
"I won't, baby."  
He pulled me closer and let my legs rest on his shoulders. He kissed up my inner thigh and paused for a moment.  
"You're so pretty."  
I let out a louder moan when he licked up my length, and my eyes rolled back.  
I grasped desperately at empty air when he took me halfway into his mouth and moved his tongue around me. He was scissoring and curling his fingers inside me, and it was quickly becoming more than I could stand.  
"J-Jerry, Jerry you gotta calm d-down or— fuck —you're gonna make me c-cum."  
I tangled my fingers into his messy blonde hair. The hair on my arms was standing on end, and I had goosebumps all over. Jerry pulled off and left sloppy, wet kisses all over my thighs.  
“Well, that’s the plan, but it won’t be any fun for either of us if you cum now.”  
“O-Oh it is, is it?”  
“Oh yeah. Totally. I’m gonna make you cum so hard. I’m gonna give you the best orgasm of your fuckin life dude.”  
He'd just finished leaving a sizable hickey when he pulled his fingers out.  
I was panting. Jerry pulled me back down onto him, but I didn't lose that airy feeling of weightlessness.  
He grabbed the condom and tore it open with his teeth. I watched him roll it on with bated breath. The anticipation was eating me alive, despite me usually being a patient person. He spread more lube on me, and I positioned myself on top of him.  
"Whenever you're ready, Jack," he breathed in my ear.  
I slowly began to work my way down onto him. The pain was uncomfortable, but it was something I was somewhat familiar with.  
I clung to him and focused on how pretty he was and how I felt for him and the way his hand felt on my cock.  
The further I moved down, the more it felt like someone had hooked jumper cables to my feet.  
"Oh… oh Jerry… fuck… this is like… insane…"  
When I gave him the go-ahead, he began to move up into me. It was gentle, but every movement sent a bolt of white-hot pleasure through my body. He left steamy kisses all over my neck.  
"Ugh, Jack… you're incredible. You feel so nice… oh fuck."  
“Hnnn... that’s good... yeah... that’s so good... oh...”  
When he picked up the pace, I raked my fingernails down his back. I was twitching uncontrollably. When he kissed up my jaw, I met his lips and immediately initiated passionate and intense kisses. He ran his hands all over me, and I gravitated towards him more. He pressed our foreheads together, and soon enough, my body was pressed up desperately against his.  
My reaction to his increase and my soft pleas of "more" spurred him to go even faster. Pretty soon, he was really letting me have it, and I couldn't keep still or quiet.  
"J-Jerry I— unh —faster oh god please don't stop. T-Take me ughhh!"  
I'd never been this vocal before. It was honestly shocking to me.  
"Fuck Jack, you're so fucking hot, oh god."  
"More pl-please— ah oh god —you're so hot please don't stop, please!"  
He peppered hot kisses all over my shoulder.  
"Don't worry, babe, I— shit —I'm not g-gonna stop."  
I felt like I was on fire. I vaguely registered that my hair was standing on end as if I'd been given a static electric shock, and that tears were rolling down my face. I'd never been one to cry during sex, but god… god, was this something else.  
I felt something building up, and I knew I was reaching the breaking point. My legs were shaking, and I couldn't control the noises coming out of my mouth. I was yelling.  
"FUCK ME! I'M GONNA! JESUS CHRIST!"  
Jerry was leaving soft love bites along my collarbone. I was all but digging my nails into his shoulders.  
"Go a-ahead, just let it happen!"  
" _JERRY!!!!!!!!_ "  
I'd _seriously_ underestimated just how big that something was.  
The orgasm that sent my body into convulsions was nothing short of **_transcendental_**.  
I was on another wavelength, in another place. Someone had put me in an electric chair. It felt like hours more than seconds.  
I could feel every hair follicle on my body. I could feel my blood as it pulsed through my skin. I could hear Jerry's heart pounding. I could hear the sound of bird wings beating against the air miles away. I could see water molecules in the air around us.  
The fluorescent light bulbs in the ceiling all flickered and burst.  
I faintly registered Jerry's soft whines and our lips moving together as he rutted against and came on my stomach.  
It took me ages to finally orient myself. I was soaked in sweat. I was glowing a little bit. Also, I was on the ceiling. Weirder things had happened before.  
Hell, I'd been on the ceiling plenty of times. But none had been as fuckin amazing as this was. I felt fried. Jerry was panting hard. The lights were broken. The darkness was inviting.  
"Having… fun… up there….. Mary Poppins?"  
"Fuck you."  
"Funny... that's what... I just did."  
The sensation of weight returned all at once as I fell from the ceiling. Jerry caught me, almost like he'd been expecting it.  
"You okay? I figure that was pretty intense for you."  
"That's an understatement. I think I might've pulled a muscle. Transcended the mortal plane. Reached a higher level of existence. Do you have any water?"  
I chugged six bottles of water before I wasn't thirsty anymore. And then I chugged two more. I collapsed into the bed that was suddenly in place of the folding chairs and table. I wasn't asking questions about that right now. It was so soft. An exhaustion tsunami washed over me, and moving even an inch became unbearable.  
Jerry laid down next to me.  
"Will I really not remember any of this?"  
"Your guess is as good as mine."  
I felt a smile creep across my face as he wrapped his arms around me. I mustered the strength to move closer to him.  
I closed my eyes.  
"That was incredible. I love you, Jerry."  
"I love you too, Jack."  
He stroked my still-staticky hair back.  
"Jerry?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Did you kill Spencer?"  
"No, but I really ran him through the wringer."  
"Good."  
I slipped away, my head pressed against his chest, listening to his heartbeat's steady thud. 

*******

When I returned to my own plane of existence, a delivery man was asking for a signature for a package made out to "Mel." Where the return address should've been, there was only the name "Jeremy." I tried to accept the package, but the delivery man was adamant that it had to be signed for by the named recipient. At first, I couldn't understand why Jerry would send a package to Mel. Maybe he was trying to be clever and circumvent any postal demons set to intercept my packages. Thinking about Jerry made me remember why I was so sore. What had happened the night of his birthday party, and what had transpired with him after.  
 _I knew I'd remember it._  
I smiled.  
I fought and begged and even tried to bribe the guy, but he insisted he'd lose his job if he didn't see an ID to match the signature for someone named "Mel." I asked if he'd do me a solid and wait for me to get Mel to come down to the gas station. He said he'd give me half an hour in return for free sodas for life.  
"Hello?"  
She sighed.  
"What do you want, Jack?"  
"There's an emergency at the gas station."  
"Jack I—"  
"It's an emergency, and I really really need you ASAP."  
There was a slight pause.  
"I'll be there in ten. This better be good."  
True to her word, O'Brien showed up ten minutes later. I explained to the postman that this was actually "Mel." It was short for "A-MEL-ia." He looked at her ID, then at her badge, and let her sign for it.  
"This was the emergency you called me out for?"  
She seemed pissed.  
"Yeah. I was worried you might not come if I didn't say it was an emergency."  
She shook her head and gave me that worried look of disappointment that I was getting too familiar with for my liking.  
"Listen, Jack. The girl from Jerry's party? Her name was Calista. I met her when I came to check in on Rosa. I remembered what you said about her… not being human, so I looked into her."  
I set the package down. Whatever can of worms I knew that box was going to open could wait until after this conversation.  
"What did you find?"  
"Jack. She's got a birth record, you know? Calista Malloy grew up here. She went to school. Her photo is in the yearbook. She had overdue library books. And now she has friends that are missing her."  
"So?" I said. "That just means they're getting better at building a fake identity. They went the extra mile so that anyone who looks closely won't see. I'm telling you. She didn't exist a week ago."  
O'Brien just gave me a skeptical look.  
"You're sure about that?"  
"What are you asking Amy? Are you asking if I accidentally murdered somebody? I didn't. Are you asking if we buried an innocent girl last night? She was a _monster_. She was _one of them_. I don't know why she didn't regenerate. Maybe I hit her in the exact right spot. Maybe she just didn't feel like coming back! I don't know! But I'm not crazy! Okay?!"  
O'Brien walked up to me slow, as if she was afraid I would jump out and bite her. She hugged me and then said, "I'm sorry."  
Before I knew it, she'd gone. I didn't have time to waste. I didn't have time to mourn. There were things that had to be done. I had to keep moving.  
***  
Inside the box were two things. On top, there was a note.  
 _Hey Jack,  
By now, you're probably aware of what's going on. They're everywhere. They can look like anyone. And they want you dead.  
I told you already, you don't deserve to die. You shouldn't be so lucky. You should see what happened, and know that this was all your fault.  
I know what you saw last night. You know what you saw last night.  
This is for you. Figure out what to do with it. You're good at digging holes, right? Calista sure thinks so._  
I hadn't thought I'd have to see Jerry's severed head again. But here it was.  
The terrified look on his face will haunt me until the day I die. His pale blue eyes were slightly milky, and his mouth hung loose and open.  
"Okay, there's no one here. You can talk now."  
No response. Was he not hearing me?  
"Not funny, Jerry. It wasn't funny the last time."  
Was this a joke? Was he playing a joke on me?  
I poked his head and took it out of the box.  
"Really, now is NOT the time for this."  
I looked around for a moment, trying to find some explanation for why he wasn't talking like he had last night.  
My voice came out weaker than I'd expected it too.  
"Jerry?" 


	5. Epilogue

Before I had the chance to let the tears fall, Jerry's head began to cackle.  
"Oh man, that was so hard to watch! I got you good, though!"  
I wiped my eyes angrily and threw it back in the box before giving in a rigorous shake.  
"YOU FUCKIN DICK!!!! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!?!  
"Hey, easy! You're gonna make me puke!"  
He laughed at his own stupid joke.  
"You're such an IDIOT! UGH!"  
"Did you read Spencer's note? God, what a fuckin _drama queen_. I've had to read it over and over for the past six hours. Damn, being inside that box was boring as hell."  
"I hate you! You're such an asshole! I can't believe I let you bang m—"  
"Wait, you remember?"  
"I remember that you invited me out to get a drink, and I also remember how horribly you just scared me. So now you're buying me a drink when all this shit blows over, and you get your body back. You owe me one."  
"Fair enough."  
He grinned and winked at me.  
"Spencer _is_ right, though. And things are about to get worse. I know it. I hope you've still got that shovel around."  
I sighed.  
"Yeah, I do."  
"Would you do something for me?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Well, you definitely should put me in ice or something."  
I went to go grab an ice chest.  
"Wait, let me finish. Would you give me a cigarette?"  
I walked over to the display case and pulled out a pack of Marlboro Reds. I opened it and slid one out.  
"Anything for you, you mean ass bastard."  
I lit the cigarette and placed it between his lips. He blew the smoke in my face. I smiled a little.  
I knew things were about to get bad. Things were about to get _really_ bad. But I knew that I'd get through it as long as I had Jerry by my side. Even if he was just a head right now. Maybe I could even keep a little bit of my sanity.  
"Hey Jerry?"  
"Yeah?"  
"I love you."  
"I love you too. Now let's get down to business. First, I think we're gonna need some sort of defense besides Ricardo. Maybe we could get some bear traps…"


End file.
